Tag Archives: joshua radin

I usually feature a hit song from the music charts in this section, but this time out I want to take a look at an artist who has built an extremely successful career on Film & TV placements, Joshua Radin. More than 40 of Radin’s songs have appeared in top TV series, including Bones, Parenthood, Grey’s Anatomy, Beauty and the Beast, Hart of Dixie, 90210, and the list goes on. You won’t find his songs on the mainstream music charts, nevertheless, he has sold over 2.5 million singles and 700,000 albums.

Radin’s songs are atmospheric, mood-based, and emotionally evocative rather than attention grabbing radio hits. They tend to feature refrains instead of big, over-the-top choruses, as radio singles do. The production is simple but carefully thought out, with chiseled performances that lock into a groove.

Each song is a gem filled with insight, fresh twists, and beautiful payoff lines that are perfect for film and TV uses. If you’re a singer-songwriter looking at the Film & TV market, here’s an artist who’s worth studying.

TECHNIQUES TO HEAR AND TRY:Turn a simple idea into a compelling lyric. Add interest to a melody with unpredictable phrasing. Create an arrangement that supports your lyric concept.

Buy it now or listen on your preferred music site (Spotify, Rdio, Rhapsody, etc.) or watch on YouTube

Recorded by Joshua Radin
Writers: Joshua Radin & Kenneth A Pattengale

GENRE/STYLE(What is a genre?)
The song’s genre is Contemporary Folk/Rock. It fits right in with songs by Passenger, Phillip Phillips, Ed Sheeran, American Authors, and Iron & Wine. “Beautiful Day” has been featured in three primetime TV series and a Subaru commercial. Radin recently released a second version of this song featuring Sheryl Crow. You can reference either one since they’re essentially the same. I like his solo version better.

In many of his songs, Radin pays his respects to the Singer-Songwriters of the 1960s. The relaxed, conversational vocal style and harmonies, image-filled lyric language, and strummed acoustic guitar track are reminiscent of Folk Singer-Songwriters like Simon and Garfunkel. Yet Radin’s songs fit right into today’s Indie Folk renaissance. If you’re a fan of the ’60s Folk scene but want to pitch your songs to current projects, listen to Joshua Radin for techniques that will help you update your sound without losing heart and soul. Continue reading →

The posts on this website are based on my songwriting books. You'll find hundreds of useful, real world tips and techniques to get your creative ideas flowing and help you craft songs that work for today's music market. Find out more about all my print and eBooks on my Author page at Amazon.
Copyright Robin Frederick. All rights reserved.
Request permission to reprint.

My latest “Songwriting Tips & Inspiration” email is out now. It’s full of practical, usable info you can apply to your songwriting career, PLUS a new in-depth “Study the Hits” song guide

Song Tip: “The Music Producer: A User’s Manual”: Learn what a music producer can do for you and how to find the right one for your song. How do you let the producer know what you want? How can you be sure he or she understands your genre and the goals you have for you music? This detailed article will take you through the steps, from laying the foundation for your first meeting to taking the producer for a “test drive.”

Study the Hits: “Beautiful Day” by Joshua Radin (Folk/Singer-Songwriter): Take a look at a great Film & TV song by Joshua Radin. Find out how he turns simple language and a familiar theme into a compelling lyric. Try a melody with plenty of interesting twists, like this one, in your next song. Find out how to use your musical arrangement to support your theme.

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The posts on this website are based on my songwriting books. You'll find hundreds of useful, real world tips and techniques to get your creative ideas flowing and help you craft songs that work for today's music market. Find out more about all my print and eBooks on my Author page at Amazon.
Copyright Robin Frederick. All rights reserved.
Request permission to reprint.